For a board-level director to leave after just nine months in the job is a surprise. But many had asked when she arrived what Spindler brought to the Debenhams party.
Spindler spent 10 years at Asda before joining Debenhams, most recently heading its George clothing brand. She is widely recognised for recruiting WAG Coleen McLoughlin for its ads, which George later realised alienated its core audience.
But whatever Spindler did or didn’t achieve at Asda led her to take up a new role at Debenhams, prompting speculation she was in line to take over from boss Rob Templeman.
Yet Debenhams already had an accomplished chief operating officer in Michael Sharp. He knows the business well, having joined in 1997, and in Templeman’s words has a “long established pedigree in the fashion industry” with previous stints at Topshop and Principles.
Spindler’s exit has meant Sharp is now deputy chief executive, taking over her responsibilities. And Suzanne Harlow – another veteran of the business alongside Sharp – has been appointed to the board, responsible for buying and merchandising. Together Sharp and Harlow make a formidable team and seem to cover all the bases.
Debenhams said the move will “simplify our internal structure and help drive performance”. Debenhams said Spindler’s departure is not a cost-cutting exercise, but there is no mention of what she has achieved there. She was responsible for marketing and online, neither of which an outside has seen much evidence of her stamp.
The shake-up follows last month’s full-year results, which saw Debenhams halve its dividend after profits fell 16 per cent to£110.1 million. Some say its saving grace has been in product and design, both areas led by Sharp and Harlow.
Spindler believed she was brought in to “maximise growth opportunities” for the chain and probably thought she’d take over from Templeman at some point this year.
If her succession was written into the contract, it probably would have rattled Sharp’s cage. And with Harlow in tow, Debenhams would not have wanted to lose the duo.
Yet any plans may have been scrapped with the onset of the credit crunch. It had been speculated that Templeman was ready to step down this year, but he is likely to stay on to steer the ship through the downturn. Spindler may simply not have wanted to wait until Templeman’s job became free.
Jennifer Creevy is news editor of Retail Week
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